In the Future
by darciewritestoo
Summary: While digging through a crazy inventor's garbage, Jack and David find a device that sends them to the future. Slash.


After the strike, things had settled down for the newsies. The deal David and Jack struck with Pultizer had been pretty darn successful.

Everything went as it was supposed to.

Until that fateful April day.

The Inventor didn't know what was going to happen when he invented his device, found it didn't work, and threw it out, after all. He had no idea who would come across it. He had no idea who would make it work. He had no idea that the piece of junk he'd put together would get the results he'd hoped.

Just not when he was around.

o O o O o O o O o

"So Race says, 'You betta get me another cigar!' Well, Mush wasn't havin' none of that. He said it'd be a cold day in Hell before he bought anotha cigar for Race. Said he can't afford it. And Race says, 'Why don't you steal it?'"

David nodded, trying to follow Jack's story. He had felt out of the loop ever since his father went back to work and he went back to school. He still was friends with the newsies, but it was hard. He had a lot of work to do, and though it was possible to be a newsie after school for some, he was such a perfectionist when it came to his schoolwork that it just wasn't an option.

Plus, Jack was the only one that actually went out of his way to see him.

David couldn't guess why. He wasn't that great. Jack acted like he was, though. He reported everything he saw, asked David about school, and took some time to see Les, who still idolized Jack like no other. Ordinarily, David might be jealous, but this was Jack, after all. He'd never actually had a best friend. Jack was far from the best friend David thought he would always have, too. He didn't ever expect his potential best friend to date his sister, break up with her, and pretend it didn't happen whenever he came over.

David also expected he would be more protective of his sister if that happened. But he wasn't. She didn't seem to care that much and didn't seem that miserable, so he didn't really bother after the initial "are you okay" he offered her when the two broke up. When she assured him she'd be fine, he shrugged and then it wasn't an issue anymore.

But only Jack could have made that happen.

Truth be told, David was kind of relieved. It had been strange seeing him kiss Sarah when the strike ended and for a few weeks after. But during those weeks after the strike, those kisses seemed like obligations. He saw the breakup coming. And after it happened, he and Jack spent an afternoon walking all over the city, not saying much.

Since that day, Jack and been at David's place a lot, whenever David wasn't too busy with school.

This was one of those days.

The semester was picking up; David was beginning to study for his exams. However, he knew he needed a study break. And like he was psychic, Jack had appeared at David's window after this decision. He asked David if he wanted to go look through peoples' garbage.

"What?" At first, David was completely disgusted by the idea. He remembered when he first met Jack, how he wanted them to spit on their hands and shake. Though David had proven he had gotten over that, there were still some things he absolutely would not do. Digging through garbage was one of those things. "No way, Jack. Absolutely not."

Jack reminded David that he didn't have much. If people threw out things that were useful, why shouldn't Jack take them. Eventually David relented, offering to keep Jack company while he dug through garbage. To make David more comfortable with the situation, Jack told David all about what had gone on lately with the newsies.

"So is he gonna get him a new cigar?" David asked Jack.

"Don't know, Dave." Jack shrugged. At that simple answer, David smiled. It might have seemed strange, but he liked it when Jack shrugged. David didn't know why, but he liked to pay special attention to Jack's shoulders. They were definitely well-defined, and he could tell why Sarah had liked him. If David had been a girl, he might have, too.

No, he wasn't going to go there.

"Look at that, Jack." David said, pointing out a garbage can. He saw it was full to the top, but not with food scraps and whatnot. With things like wood and metal.

"I wonda what's in it." Jack replied. Boldly, he approached the can, while David stayed back. No sooner had he looked over the edge of the can had he taken something out. But it wasn't anything David had expected. It was a little metal thing, about the size of the small watering can his mother and Sarah used to water the plants on the roof. He held it as he brought it over to David. "What's this?"

"I don't know, Jack."

"You're the school kid!" Jack exclaimed. "You should know!"

"Your guess is as good as mine." David replied. "Maybe it's supposed to tell time. Can I see it?"

Jack handed it to David gently. "Don't break it!" he joked.

David assured him that wouldn't happen, and then studied the hunk of metal. It had little buttons sticking out of it, and part of what looked like a metal hanger. Curiously, he tugged on the metal hanger part. When he did that, the metal device fell open in his hands like a book.

"You broke it!" Jack exclaimed. "That coulda earned me a pretty penny! Give it back."

"No way. I'm figuring it out!" David gave Jack a funny smile, daring him to take it from him. Jack took the challenge and dove for it. But before he could reach for it, David ran a few feet, causing Jack to chase him.

Then Jack caught up to him and stepped close to Dave. He placed his hands on the machine, and gave David a grin. "Now give it back."

But David wasn't listening. He could only concentrate on how incredibly close Jack had stepped toward him. How close their faces were. How if the odd metal thing wasn't there, they could... they could...

No, David told himself. Jack had that effect on everyone. It wasn't anything to worry about. It wasn't significant.

He managed to tear his eyes away, and stared down at the device between them. It had opened to reveal two buttons, each with a letter on them. P and F.

"What do those buttons mean?" David wondered aloud.

"One way to find out!" Jack lifted his pointer finger and before David could scream at him to stop, he had pressed the F button.

"What are you lookin' so worried about?" Jack asked David, his head tilted to the side. "It didn't do anythin'."

But that was when it happened. The scene around them began to change. And they weren't moving.

But everything else was.

"Jack, what's..."

But Jack didn't answer. He stared at the changing scene in wonder. And finally it stopped.

"Excuse me!" A woman wearing a black outfit that clung to her body shrieked, moving past them. She had something black and metal close to her ear as she talked into it, talking about how "the papers were on the desk."

It took a moment. David looked at the buildings and the people. They were in New York, alright. But it was a different New York. Something had changed. Everything had changed.

Then David saw it. The huge sign with smiling people on it. "Jack, look." He pointed to it, hoping he was hallucinating.

"Dentistry: a New Play, coming Fall 2011." Jack read slowly. He didn't read slowly because he was a slow reader. Of this, David was sure.

"Jack, this machine sent us to the future."

The only response that Jack could come up with was, "Shit."

o O o O o O o O o O o

They found an abandoned alley. They couldn't have anyone watch them time traveling back to the past, could they?

"Okay, now you have to hold it too." David said to Jack, though he was pretty sure Jack knew what to do. He just felt safer saying it.

When they were both securely holding the machine, David pressed the P button. Then they waited a few moments.

Nothing happened.

They repeated the process. Still nothing.

Finally, Jack looked David in the eyes and repeated himself. "Shit."


End file.
